Just Awesome

Mon Jun 7th

Skookumchuck

Today was our planned visit to the Skookumchuck Narrows. The part of the northern Sunshine Coast where the ocean flows through a narrow funnel to fill and empty the Sechelt Inlet each tide.

The Sechelt Inlet is a huge body of water that covers some 1500km2, and the tidal flows in and out are huge.

"Each day, tides force large amounts of seawater through the narrows—200 billion US gallons (760,000,000 m3) of water on a 3-metre (9.8 ft) tide. The difference in water levels on either side of the rapids can exceed 2 metres (6.6 ft) in height. Current speeds can exceed 16 knots (30 km/h),[1] up to 17.68 knots (32.74 km/h).[2] Although it is sometimes claimed to be the fastest tidal rapids in the world,[3] Norway's Saltstraumen reaches speeds of 20 knots (37 km/h)."

It is an awesome sight and sound and having seen it on the way in, the 'flow' wave, I rather like the idea of seeing it on the way out, the 'ebb' wave! So perhaps another visit is required.

It is a good 60-80 minutes walk from the small village called Egmont and while the first 3k is straightforward track the last section to the North Point viewing area is a bit rocky.

There are some videos in this link of surfers and paddle boarders who ride the standing waves at Skookumchuck and don't always stay upright. Rather them than me!

The map gives in idea of the amount of water that has to go through the Narrows

The morning had started rather wet, again, though cleared for our walk to the Narrows and turned in to a sunny afternoon.

We heard that the long-term rental we looked at a couple of weeks prior is likely to come good, so we head back to the other end of the coast, to Langdale, for a second viewing on Tuesday. Fingers crossed.

While waiting for the rain to clear I did another 5k run down to John Henry's in the morning alongside Mixal and Garden Bay Lakes. There is something rather nice about running in the rain ...... when it's not too cold.